Last week, in a bizarre Facebook video, he said that he "(saw) a lot of black" in his NHL future. Still no word on what that meant, exactly—maybe it was a reference to GM Lou Lamoriello's anti-social media rules. The world may never know.

Either way, Jagr is on his fourth NHL team in two years since returning from Russia. He's still a good enough player, particularly on the power play, and will help New Jersey avoid its worst-case scenario—finishing with one of the league's worst records, then having to forfeit their first-round pick as part of the penalty they incurred for signing Kovalchuk in the first place.

Jagr split last season with the Dallas Stars and Boston Bruins, scoring a combined 16 goals and 19 assists in 45 games in his 19th NHL season.

"There was only one thing on my mind, I wanted to stay in the NHL," Jagr said on a conference call. He's now on his fourth team since returning to North America and seventh overall.

"I watched him play the last couple of years and I have never seen someone work so hard," Lamoriello said in a telephone interview with the Associated Press. "We know where he is in his career. He brings something. Everyone who has played with him the last couple of years and also the coaches have been complimentary toward everything he has done. There is no question he can help us on the power play.

"He is a well-conditioned athlete and we are happy with what he is going to bring."

Jagr is actually the third veteran winger to sign with the Devils this offseason; Ryane Clowe and Michael Ryder both joined the team before Kovalchuk, one of the best players in the world, announced his decision, and after David Clarkson signed with the Toronto Maple Leafs.

He also joins Martin Brodeur—a fellow first-round pick in 1990. They're the only two players left from that draft. Maybe they'll give Owen Nolan a call—or talk about this:

As for the other old guys on the team—Bryce Salvador and Patrik Elias are both 37 and Marek Zidlicky is 36.

And most importantly, Jagr (681 goals, 1,007 assists in 1,391 career regular-season games) will wear No 68 with the Devils. Lamoriello virtually never gives out numbers above 34.